


The Lucky One

by stalburkslovers



Category: The Prom - Sklar/Beguelin/Martin
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/F, Pre-Canon, School Dances, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2020-01-23 19:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18556204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalburkslovers/pseuds/stalburkslovers
Summary: Early Senior year. Alyssa needs a date to the Homecoming Dance. For obvious reasons, it cannot be Emma...but maybe things are starting to change.





	The Lucky One

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a line in the cut scene from You Happened about fake cover dates.

_ New iMessage. 4:43pm. Alyssa: Gonna walk past your car. _

 

Emma’s brow furrowed. She studied the mysterious text for another minute, as if staring at it would create an explanation. Emma was sitting behind the wheel in the cab of her truck, a few doors down from the Greene home. When no clarification came, she glanced up from her phone and at her rear view mirrors, but instead of finding the sender, all she could see was the same empty suburban street.

 

It was an almost warm Friday afternoon, the late September chill unable to reach Emma in the truck. Friday was Emma’s favorite day: it was the end of the school week, the beginning of a classmate-free weekend, and too early for homework to be of immediate concern. But even better, Friday was open house day for Mrs. Greene’s realty firm. Open houses that went until the evening, which meant Alyssa was free to spend every Friday with her girlfriend without her mother realizing. To avoid the notice of their judgemental classmates, each week Alyssa would walk from James Madison High to her house, where Emma would pick her up, and they could spend at least a few uninterrupted hours together every week. 

 

It was creeping closer to 5 pm -- the time by which Alyssa usually would have reached her. It wasn’t unusual for her perpetually busy girlfriend to be running late. It was the week before their senior Homecoming after all, and Alyssa was both on the Homecoming Court and Student Council President. But why walk past the car? 

 

Her phone buzzed again. 

 

_ Don’t leave tho.  _

 

Puzzled, Emma glanced out at the street behind her again. She set her phone in the cupholder and scanned the sidewalk in her rear view, hoping for some sign of Alyssa to clear things up. 

 

A few moments later, Alyssa finally appeared, turning onto her block from the street behind her. As expected, she was bundled in her new wool coat, dark curls tucked away from her face and kept in place by a slouchy beanie. What surprised Emma, however, was that she wasn’t alone.

 

Jackson Parker walked next to her, the big grin on his face framed by his scruffy teenage beard. Alyssa was smiling too, Emma could tell, but not quite as enthusiastically. Jackson’s tall, lanky limbs seemed to take up more than his fair share of the sidewalk next to Alyssa’s much smaller frame. His mouth didn’t stop moving and neither did his hands as he spoke animatedly, and though Alyssa seemed to be responding here and there, her hands never budged from their place clutching her backpack straps. Sure enough, they walked right on past the truck, Emma simply watching her girlfriend walk on by Jackson’s side. 

 

Neither appeared to notice Emma at all until they reached the Greene residence. Alyssa deliberately slowed her step as she turned down her driveway, so that Jackson stepped ahead of her. She caught Emma’s eye behind his back and mouthed a quick  _ sorry  _ before catching up to Jackson at her front step. He kept talking as she slid her backpack off to pull out her keys. They stood there for another minute or two, until Jackson laughed off the end of his story and Alyssa turned to unlock the door. His eyes, Emma noted, did not leave her body.

 

To Emma’s chagrined delight, Alyssa did not invite him in. They instead waved an awkward goodbye, though Jackson waited till the door was long closed in his face before turning to go. 

 

Emma was snapped out of her voyeurism by her phone buzzing a third time.

 

_ Let me know when he’s gone.  _

 

Emma watched Jackson cross the street and turn back towards the direction he and Alyssa had originally come, and when he was just a speck in the distance, Emma responded. 

 

_ He’s gone. _

 

The text was barely sent before Alyssa popped out of her front door, coat, hat, shoes, and backpack still on as though she’d never entered the house. She jogged to Emma’s truck with a look of relief and threw the door open.

 

“Sorry about that,” Alyssa offered as she threw her backpack onto the floor of the passenger’s seat and climbed in after it. Emma watched, struck by how graceful Alyssa made even that look. 

 

“Oh, no problem.” Emma said, moving to restart the engine. Alyssa settled into the seat and caught Emma’s eye fondly.

 

“Thank you for waiting for me.” 

 

Emma knew it was too risky to lean in for a greeting kiss in this neighborhood, where any one of Alyssa’s neighbors could spot them. Instead, she held Alyssa’s eye for an extra moment with a soft smile. “Of course,” Alyssa smiled back, slow and sweet. She knew what her girlfriend meant. “How was the meeting?”

 

Alyssa rolled her eyes, ending their moment. Emma pulled away from the curb and begin the drive over to Grandma Nolan’s. “It was fine,” she said flatly. “We approved some of the PTA’s decorations for the dance and we went over the procedures for the Homecoming Court during the pep rally next Friday.” 

 

“I don’t know why they bother prepping other people for Homecoming court,” Emma replied. “We all know Queen is going to be you.”

 

“Yup, another resume builder, or so mom says,” Alyssa looked out at the window, her tone souring. “I really can’t wait for the whole week to just be over with.” 

 

“I know you can’t,” Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, Emma reached out across the console to take Alyssa’s hand. “You’ve been working so hard to get ready for Homecoming, but it’ll be over before you know it, and then you’ll have another shiny crown to add to your collection.” 

 

Alyssa pulled her hand out of Emma’s grip, and began fidgeting with the edge of her seatbelt.

 

“Actually,” Alyssa began nervously. “I wanted to talk to you about the dance.” 

 

Emma slowed the truck to a halt at a red light, and used the chance to look over at Alyssa. Alyssa wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Okay, sure,” she responded carefully. 

 

“Jackson had a lot of thoughts on Student Council’s decision to make Homecoming a girl’s choice this year.” Her voice was high, too high to be considered causal. “Actually, he has a lot of thoughts about the dance, and he’s been sharing them with me all week.”

 

“Oh.” Emma didn’t know what that had to do with her. 

 

“He’s actually….well, he’s been walking me home. Not just today. But every day since Tuesday.” 

 

Emma’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel, but she kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead. The light turned green, and the truck lurched forward once again. “Has he been bothering you?” She asked in a low voice. 

 

“Not really,” Alyssa waited a moment before sighing and admitting slowly, “But I think he is hoping I’ll ask him.”

 

Emma made the final turn down onto Grandma Nolan’s driveway. She threw the truck into park and cut the ignition. There was silence in the cab as Emma waited for Alysa to continue. 

 

“I’ve just been thinking, um-” Alyssa paused, and her voice grew small. “Would it be so bad if I did? Ask him, I mean?” 

 

Emma looked down at her hands in her lap and sucked in a deep breath. It must have been loud enough for Alyssa to hear, so she rushed to explain. 

 

“It wouldn’t mean anything, of course. It’s just one stupid dance, I just need someone to escort me during the Homecoming Court procession. Jackson is up for King, and he’s nice enough -- I could tell him I want to go as friends and not really as dates.” 

 

Emma finally managed to look over at Alyssa incredulously. Alyssa was looking back through wide, pleading eyes, her entire body turned toward her girlfriend. 

 

“Why?” was Emma’s only response. 

 

“Every night this week, Mom has asked me if I’d picked a date yet,” Alyssa rolled her eyes as she explained, but Emma could tell from the set of her shoulders that the distress behind the gesture was genuine.  “Last year I told her that the right boy never asked me, but this year, well, you know. I’m supposed to do the asking. She’s terrified that I’m going to go to my own Homecoming unescorted.”

 

“Oh, the terror.” Emma muttered sarcastically, but there was no bite to it. She shook her head, letting the last of the shock pass, and considered another moment. “I don’t want your mom to be on your case any more. If you want to ask Jackson, you should.”

 

“It’s not that I want to. I just…don’t know what else to do.” Alyssa trailed off. “And I don’t want you to be mad at me.” 

 

“I’m not mad at you,” Emma reached her hand out across the console. Alyssa took it. “I guess I knew this kind of thing would be part of the deal when we started dating. But would you be mad at me if I skipped the dance altogether? You’re the only reason I’d go. And if you’re going to be with him the whole time...just doesn’t really sound like my scene.” 

 

Alyssa squeezed her hand. “That’s perfectly okay. You don’t have to come to the dance. I barely want to.” 

 

“I’m going to sell that secret to the school newspaper,” Emma said, working hard to push past her own disappointment and to scrub out the tension that remained in Alyssa’s voice. She looked over to see if it worked -- it did, if the surprised look on her girlfriend’s face was anything to go by. “Oh come on!” She joked. “I can see the headline now -- ‘Homecoming Queen Hopeful and Dance Planner Alyssa Greene Doesn’t Actually Care.’ Imagine the scandal!”

 

Alyssa giggled, understanding, and the tension broke with the sweet sound. “You’re such a dork.”

 

“Yeah,” Emma smiled, pulled Alyssa’s hand up to kiss it. “Takes one to know one. Now come on,” she said, finally pulling her key out of the ignition and opening her door. “Grandma made apple pie.”

 

* * *

 

“There,” Mrs. Greene said, spraying her daughter’s head with one more puff of hairspray. It was the night of the Homecoming Dance, and Alyssa sat at the vanity in her bedroom while her mother braided her bangs up away from her face. “The perfect perch for a crown.” 

  
Alyssa looked up at herself in the mirror, taking in her mother’s work. “Yeah, mom,” She tried to sound enthusiastic. “It looks great.” 

 

Mrs. Greene placed both of her hands on Alyssa’s shoulders and inspected her daughter’s form in the mirror before them. “I’m sure Jackson will love it,” She cooed, adjusting the pale yellow spaghetti straps of the dress. “I still just wonder,” she added archly, judgmentally, “why you wouldn’t want to impress him with a new dress.”

 

_ Because he isn’t Emma _ , Alyssa dreamed of responding. Instead, she just shrugged. “I like this one.” 

 

Mrs. Green sighed. She glanced at her watch. “Oh, Alyssa, it’s almost seven o'clock! Jackson will already be waiting, you need to leave  _ now  _ or else you’ll be late!” 

 

“Right,” Alyssa stood, picking up her clutch from where it was lying on the desk in front of her and unplugging her phone. “May I have the car keys?”

 

“I’ll go get them.” Mrs Greene turned to walk out the door. 

 

Alyssa considered herself in the mirror for another moment. Even in last year’s dress, she looked like a Homecoming Court Nominee. She’d acted it, too; Alyssa had spend the last week campaigning for Homecoming Queen, selling tickets, and making sure the rest of the school was full of spirit. But no matter her classmate’s energy, she’d felt an increasing lack of ease ever since she’d asked Jackson to be her date. And now that the day was here, that icy disinterest in all things Homecoming had finally materialized into a deep pit in her stomach, a weight on her hands and feet that ensured they dragged as she got ready.

 

The phone in her hand buzzed. 

 

_ New iMessage. 6:56pm. Emma: Let me know as soon as you win Homecoming Queen. _

 

Alyssa bit back a smile as she pulled her coat on, gathered her clutch and backpack, and stepped out of her room.

 

_ We don’t know I’m going to win.  _

 

_ I know you’re going to win!  _ Emma fired back. A second later.  _ Just...starting to feel sorry I won’t be there to see it. _

 

Alyssa paused mid-step to respond.  _ Emma, we talked about this. You don’t need to apologize. The dance will be like any other, HQ only matters to-  _

 

“Alyssa!” Her mom’s shrill call snapped Alyssa to attention. “You are already late! Who could you possibly be texting?” Alyssa immediately hit send on the unfinished text and locked her phone slipping it into her bag. Mrs. Greene was already by the door with the car keys in her hands. 

 

“Just Jackson,” Alyssa lied easily. “Telling him I’m leaving now.” She continued her descent to the front door, and tried to take the keys from her mother.

 

“And, what are the car rules?”

 

“Full stop at all the stop signs, no texting and driving, only pre-approved passengers, and return it with a full tank.” Alyssa rattled off in response.

 

“That’s right, young lady,” Her mom said. “And your curfew?” 

 

“Usually it’s 10pm, but I’m spending tonight with Kaylee at Shelby’s. So I’ll be home by 9am tomorrow, so that I can be ready in time for 10:15 Bible study and services.”

 

“Okay,” Her mom handed the keys over and pulled the door open for her. “Have a good night now. You’ll come home a Homecoming Queen, just like your mother did. I just know it.”   
  


“Thanks, Mom,” Alyssa didn’t turn back as she walked out into the evening. 

 

The drive to Jackson’s was short, so Alyssa didn’t bother turning on music as she drove. She toyed idly with the thought of circling the block a few times to make her even more late, but she knew her lollygagging wouldn’t get the night over with any quicker. 

 

_ Here _ , she texted him simply upon arrival. She looked up, and saw Jackson wave from inside one of the windows, so quickly Alyssa switched threads to Emma’s; her girlfriend had just sent a question mark. 

 

_ Sorry about that. Mom was right in front of me all of a sudden.  _

 

The reply was immediate. 

 

_ Oh. That’s fine.  _

 

_ What are you up to tonight?  _ Alyssa asked, desperate for the conversation to continue. Jackson was out the door now, heading towards Alyssa’s car. He looked fine, Alyssa supposed. The yellow tie he’d picked to match her dress was two shades too dark, and even Alyssa knew you weren’t supposed to match a grey suit jacket with khaki pants, but his hair was combed and at least he had shaved. 

 

_ I’ll be at home, in my favorite joggers, with a full Netflix queue and a Grandma who has a 8pm bedtime.  _ Emma responded _. _

 

_ Lucky you. Got to go tho, picking up Jackson now.  _ The date in question reached the car and tugged a few times on the door handle futilely. Alyssa unlocked the door and went to set her phone down, but before it left her hand, she noticed one last notification.

 

_ Actually Jackson is the lucky one. Cause the only thing I’m spending my night with is Ben and Jerry’s, while gets to spend the whole night with you. x  _

“Hey!” Jackson said loudly as he climbed into the car. It was practically violent, the way his greeting cut through the sudden pounding of Alyssa’s heart.

 

“Hi,” She couldn’t even look at him to greet him. Her eyes were glued to Emma’s message. 

 

“Uh, is everything okay?” Jackson asked. 

 

“Um,” Alyssa shook her head, trying to clear the sting of tears. She threw her phone down and looked over at him. “Yeah,” She said. “Just…nervous, I guess.”    
  


“Oh don’t be. Win or lose, it was just enough to be on Homecoming Court. You know, one of my friends on the lacrosse team was telling me…” 

 

Alyssa put the car in reverse and made for the school. This was the other reason Jackson made the right fake date -- no need to try to make conversation. 

 

* * *

 

A small twist of pain broke Emma out of her haze. She looked down at her right hand, where a small drop of blood was pooling beneath the edge of her ring finger. It took her longer than it should have to realize three things simultaneously -- that she has caused the pain by biting her fingernail, that most of her fingernails were just stubs at this point, and that she had no idea what was happening on the TV screen she’d just been staring at. 

 

Emma sighed, and picked up her phone. She paused the episode she had been missing, and tried to concentrate to figure out the last thing she could remember happening in the show. Her concentration broke quickly -- she switched over again to her latest text to Alyssa.

 

Had it been too much? She didn’t even bother to reread her message; it was memorized now from the number of times she’d mulled it over in the first thirty minutes, waiting for a response. Now it was just one offending word that glared up at her :  _ Read, 7:09 pm.  _ Nearly two hours later, and still nothing. 

 

The more rational part of Emma’s brain tried to tell her that Alyssa was probably just busy. Emma knew Alyssa feared being caught texting her girlfriend, and of course tonight she’d be surrounded by others. But Alyssa was with her friends tonight: distracted, socializing, having fun at the dance, and maybe even dancing a song or two with Jackson. And that, of course, was where the irrational brain kicked in.

 

“Damn it,” Emma murmured to no one but herself. Around her, the room had long since grown dark, lit only by the glow of the TV screen. She was taking up the entire couch, spread out with one blanketed foot on the coffee table and another stretched out to the side. She righted herself, sitting up so she could turn to reach the pint of Ben and Jerry’s she’d had abandoned at least an episode or two ago. Emma attacked it again with a vengeance. 

 

A quiet knock on the front door startled Emma enough that she nearly dropped her pint. She looked blankly at the door, waiting to see if it would happen again. A moment later, another knock.

 

Emma threw the blanket off of her and walked over to the door, very confused. Grandma rarely had company, much less at 9pm on a Saturday night. Emma peered through the peephole and immediately stepped back to throw the door open.

 

“I won Homecoming Queen.” Standing in the wash of the porch light, Alyssa offered a sheepish smile. The yellow tulle of her dress’ skirt popped out below the coat that covered it’s lacy bodice. On her head, a golden tiara with rhinestones fit perfectly into her braided curls, though a few loose strands gave away that it had been a long night. To Emma, it may as well have been a halo. “You said you wanted to know as soon as I was crowned.” 

 

“Yeah…” Emma gazed out at her girlfriend, no less shocked but happy to drink in the sight of Alyssa dressed to the nines. “I just thought, you know. You’d text me.” 

 

Alyssa took a step in, and Emma stepped back, welcoming her in. Alyssa shut the front door behind her, and immediately stepped closer still, bringing one hand up to cup her girlfriend’s face and then moved to pull her glossy lips to Emma’s. Reflexively, Emma lifted her hands to Alyssa’s waist, and they kissed slowly in the darkness.

 

“Not that I’m complaining,” Emma said, pulling away after a few blissful seconds. “But what are you doing here? And where’s Jackson?” 

 

“Jackson is still at the dance, wearing a crown that matches this one,” She indicated the tiara on her head. “And he thinks I’m driving myself home because I caught a sudden stomach bug.” 

 

“Oh?”

 

“The dance was okay. But I realized something tonight and -- uhh, can we...?” 

 

“Of course!” Emma dropped her arms and Alyssa stepped back, leaning down to pull off her heels. Emma graciously helped her take off the coat, revealing more of her golden-olive skin. The pale yellow contrast really was a great color for her, Emma couldn’t help but noticing.

 

Alyssa took Emma’s hand and led her into the next room. She gestured for Emma to take her seat back on the couch, but opted to stay standing herself. Emma sat, eyebrows raised expectantly. Alyssa began pacing as she spoke.

 

“I’ve been feeling terrible all day,” Alyssa admitted. “But I think first, I owe you an apology.” 

 

“No, you don’t-” Emma tried, but Alyssa cut her off. 

 

“No, I’m sure I do. Even now, you’re being so patient and understanding, and I’ve been totally unfair.”

 

“You really haven’t-” Emma tried to cut in.

 

Alyssa wouldn’t let her. “After you sent me that sweet text tonight, I just couldn’t get it out of my head. The thought of you, here, alone, while I was out with someone else…I never should have asked Jackson to Homecoming. I never should have asked that of you.”

 

“Alyssa,” Emma paused, trying to get her still pacing girlfriend’s attention before trying to get another word in. It worked, Alyssa stopped, and turned to her, and Emma waited until Alyssa was looking her in the eye before she continued. “I understand why you didn’t want to ask me to the girl’s choice. Yeah, maybe I was a little hurt at first, but I’m also basically the poster child for what goes wrong when you come out, so…” 

 

“You’re still the bravest person I know.” Alyssa looked adoringly at Emma, so warmly it caused butterflies. “But that’s not what I realized tonight.” 

 

“Okay,” Emma, blushing but smiling, prompted her to continue.     
  


“The dance really was just a lame dressing up of our even lamer gym. Jackson’s nice, and I like most of my friends, but I don’t really know them, and they  _ really _ don’t know me. I should have been excited when they called my name for Homecoming Queen,” Alyssa began gesticulating as her words fell out of her, quicker and quicker. “And then they made everyone leave the dance floor, and they played some stupid slow song that I don’t even remember what was, and Jackson and I danced in front of everyone, and it all just….sucked.” Alyssa dropped her shoulders, the sudden stillness in the glow of the TV seeming to turn the temperature of the room up a few degrees.

 

“And I realized -- none of it actually matters.” Alyssa caught her eye again. “I was dancing with him, but all I could think of was you.” 

 

Emma stood up from where she’d been placed on the couch and threw her arms around Alyssa, who hugged her right back. 

 

“But that’s not the only thing,” Alyssa whispered against Emma’s neck, but this time her voice shook. “You know, now that Homecoming is over, Student Council is going to be focused on the next big dance. That would be Senior Prom. And I realized -- I don’t want to feel this way about my own Prom. Prom is supposed to be special, a celebration. I don’t want to spend it dancing with Jackson Harper. Or with anyone else for that matter,” Alyssa pulled back, hands still clasped over Emma’s shoulders. She looked intently through glassy eyes at Emma, who gazed back at her. “I just want to dance with you.” 

 

“Alyssa,” Emma asked, her mouth opening in slow realization. “Does this mean…?”

 

“It means,” Alyssa tightened her grip around Emma’s shoulders. Emma reciprocated around her waist. “That I think you should ask me to Prom.” 

 

Emma tugged her in, kissing her fiercely. 

 

“You want to go to Prom with me,” Emma asked when they broke apart. 

 

“More than anything.”

 

“In front of everyone?”

 

“In front of everyone.”

 

“You and me. On a real date, at our Senior Prom?”

 

“Yes, Emma,” Alyssa almost laughed, a huge smile growing with each confirmation. Emma beamed, resting her forehead against her girlfriend’s. “You’re my real girl’s choice, all along. And I’m starting to think that I don’t care who knows it.” 

 

 

Emma kissed her again, this time with a new energy. So much that she didn't notice when the TV screen went black, plunging them into an actually dark night. At that point, Alyssa pulled back.

 

“Babe, how long has that been paused?” Alyssa asked. Emma, her eyes still closed, just skimmed her nose around Alyssa’s face, pressing gentle kisses to her cheeks. 

  
“Uh, I don’t know.” 

 

“Well, you dork,” Alyssa pulled back. Emma let out a little huff of protest, but let her go. “I have a backpack with PJs in my car, and you still have a tub of Ben and Jerry’s to finish. Can I stay tonight?” 

 

“Of course you can,” Emma delighted, but realized “Won’t your mom be expecting you?”

 

“Mom thinks I’m at Shelby’s, Shelby thinks I went home to Mom’s after all, and no one is expecting me until 9am tomorrow.” 

 

“Nice,” Emma offered her hand for a silly high five, which Alyssa returned, still giddy. 

 

“Okay, let me go get my stuff. I want to change out of this dress into something more comfy,” Alyssa said as she turned to go back out to her car.

 

“I do love comfy,” Emma said, flopping back down onto the couch. “But I gotta say, the dress,” Emma let her eyes slide appreciatively -- and obviously -- down to Alyssa’s legs and back up. “I really like the dress.” 

 

Alyssa preened a bit over Emma’s attention, and then winked at Emma as she left the room. “Just wait till you see me in a Prom dress.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me about these lesbians (or any lesbians) on tumblr @stalburkslovers


End file.
